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Otolaryngology Coding Alert

CPT® Guidelines:
Get the Scoop on Issues Surrounding New BAHA Guidance
Come to your own conclusions, but don't veer from the official guidance. While authoritat... Read more
Case Studies:
Factor in Fee Schedule With Multiple FESS Procedures
Consider which coding method results in maximum reimbursement. The functional endoscopic ... Read more
Reimbursement:
Prep for Added Otolaryngology, Allergy Revenue in 2021
Plus, see what's new with COVID-19 supervision regulations. There's a lot to unpack withi... Read more
You Be the Coder:
Don’t Overthink This Masseter Muscle I&D Scenario
Question: How do you code an external incision and drainage (I&D) of a masseter muscle... Read more
Reader Questions:
Stay on Top of Non-COVID-19-Related ICD-10-CM Guideline Updates
Question: I've heard about new guidelines for COVID-19-related diagnoses and disorders due... Read more
Reader Questions:
Consider Time Frame for In-Person Visit Following Phone Consultation
Question: If a visit starts as an audio-only telehealth visit and the patient then comes t... Read more
CPT® 2021:
Gain Insights on the Most Important CPT® Changes for 2021
See what previously unlisted services now have a home in the CPT® manual. While the monu... Read more
Case Studies:
Avoid Terminology-Based Coding Pitfalls in This Example
Consider every last detail, down to the number of HCPCS units. There's no better way to i... Read more
Practice Management:
Prep Your Practice for New ABN Form Implementation
Get a complete breakdown of all the pertinent details. With an array of new updates to th... Read more
You Be the Coder:
Stay on Top of Rules for Telehealth to In-Person Transition Visits
Question: If a visit starts as telehealth and the patient then comes to the office for an ... Read more
Reader Questions:
Go Unlisted for CO2 Subglottic Ablation With These Steps
Question: A patient with vocal cord paralysis had a bilateral excision of arytenoid c... Read more
Reader Questions:
Be Aware of Crucial Updates to Medicare LCD for Diagnoses
Question: We've always turned to our Medicare contractor's LCDs to find a list of payable ... Read more
E/M 2021:
Familiarize Yourself With This Wide Range of E/M 2021 CPT® Coding Changes
Give special consideration to what's new with prolonged services. With new CPT® code sea... Read more
CPT® Coding:
Home in on Throat Portion of ENT With a Nuanced Case Study
Navigate through a variety of concepts to further your coding acumen. There's often no be... Read more
Telehealth:
Focus on Telehealth Documentation Practices in Case of Audit
Ensure telehealth billing and coding compliance through a series of tips. The expansion o... Read more
Reader Questions:
Keep on Top of Revised ABN Form CMS-R131 Deadline
Question: I was told by a colleague that there's a new advance beneficiary notice (ABN) fo... Read more
Reader Questions:
Confirm CPT® Guidelines on New, Existing Patients for New Practice Visits
Question: We are aware of the new patient rules for office/ outpatient evaluation and mana... Read more
You Be the Coder:
Identify Services That Don’t Extend Beyond E/M Visit
Question: Our practice saw a patient who had bitten her tongue and lip following a dental ... Read more
ICD-10-CM 2021:
Stay Ahead of the ICD-10-CM Curve With These Updates
Leave some extra room for parenthetical note changes, as well. It's anyone's guess on a y... Read more
CPT® Coding:
Highlight This Set of Tips for Coding In-Office CT Scans
Consider contrast billing rules for office versus facility. With more otolaryngology prac... Read more
Documentation:
Query Your Providers With Increased Ease Using These Tips
Learn how to set up an efficient, working system of communication. An open channel of com... Read more
Reader Questions:
Know This Incident-To Guideline for Compliant E/M Billing
Question: We reported 99211 for a nurse visit with a Medicare patient when the provider wa... Read more
Reader Questions:
Consider Varying Payer Guidelines Surrounding Modifier CS
Question: Our payer has a guideline regarding modifier CS (Cost-sharing for specified covi... Read more
Reader Questions:
Code Food Stuck in Tonsils as FB Removal
Question: A primary care provider in our practice removed a piece of popcorn kernel from a... Read more
You Be the Coder:
Identify Clinical Circumstances That Warrant 62165 Coding
Question: I'm struggling to code an operative note that involves the excision of a tumor o... Read more
CPT® Coding:
Steer Clear of Coding Pitfalls on Microlaryngoscopic CO2 Laser Ablations
 Utilize this guidance for the most current coding instructions. Staying up to date ... Read more
Reimbursement:
Take These Steps for Fighting Chance at Modifier 22 Reimbursement
Get in-depth expert guidance to reduce appeals and maximize reimbursement. Securing reimb... Read more
Brush Up on the Basics of These 3 Essential E/M Modifiers
Consider what role global period can play in your coding processes. Evaluation and manage... Read more
Reader Questions:
Know Which 2021 E/M Services Will be Based on MDM, Time
Question: Is it true that evaluation and management (E/M) coding for office and outpatient... Read more
Reader Questions:
Home in on NCCI Policy Manual for 69530, 69502 Pairing
Question: If the otolaryngologist performs a petrous apicectomy of the left ear that ... Read more
Reader Questions:
Ensure Infectious Agent Documentation for J02.8 Coding
Question: We recently ran a rapid strep test on a young patient who came in complaining of... Read more
You Be the Coder:
Don't Force a Square Code into a Round Op Report
Question: A patient returns for surgery after remaining symptomatic following a simple mas... Read more
Get Essential Time-Based E/M Coding Tips for CY 2021
See what features are changing and what's remaining constant. With time being one of two ... Read more
Peer-to-Peer Consultation:
Code Accordingly for Both Ends of the E/M Consultation Process
Get providers on both sides of the aisle their deserved reimbursement. Evaluation and man... Read more
Work Your Way Through Thyroid FNA Reports With NCCI Advice
Consider crucial guidelines for biopsies with more than one lesion. Fine needle aspiratio... Read more
Reader Questions:
Bundle Polypectomy Into More Extensive FESS Codes
Question: What codes should I report for a nasal endoscopy with a total ethmoidectomy in a... Read more
Reader Questions:
Stick to E/M Codes for COVID-19 Nasal Swab Without Lab Test
Question: We have an existing patient presenting to our office for a COVID-19 nasal swab t... Read more
Reader Questions:
Compare and Contrast Modifiers 52, 53 Using CPT® Manual
Question: What guidelines should I adhere to for a surgery cancelled midway through for he... Read more
You Be the Coder:
Think Critically for Coding of ER to OR Patient Encounters
Question: Our otolaryngologist performed an evaluation and management (E/M) exam on a 24-y... Read more
CPT® Coding:
Polish Your Allergy, Immunotherapy Coding With Handy Pointers
Consider guidelines from LCDs and other key authoritative sources. Accurate coding and bi... Read more
Modifiers:
Get the Scoop on Cost-Sharing Waiving With Modifier CS FAQs
Meet this specific set of criteria to waive cost-sharing on eligible services. If you'r... Read more
Reimbursement:
Use MPFS Database As an Essential Billing, Reimbursement Resource
Take these 8 useful facts into consideration for optimal use. Understanding the nuances s... Read more
Reader Question:
Avoid CPT® Index Snags With This Terminology Advice
Question: What's the CPT® code to report for the resection of a lesion of the buccal... Read more
Reader Question:
Meet 4 Key Elements for Comprehensive History
Question: If I have a chief complaint, an extended history of present illness (HPI), a pro... Read more
You Be the Coder:
Know When, When Not to Use Modifier 78
Question: Following a right partial thyroid lobectomy, the pathology results came back ind... Read more
Telehealth:
Get Pertinent COVID-19 Telehealth Coding Instruction
See what sets telehealth apart from the rest of the virtual services. In this unprecedent... Read more
Virtual Services:
Shift Your Focus to Virtual Check-Ins, E-Visits, and More
Round out your knowledge of all the virtual services with these guidelines. As thorough ... Read more
ICD-10-CM:
Begin New COVID-19 ICD-10-CM Dx and Guideline Reporting
Home in on sequencing rules, suspected vs. positive cases, and more. Breaking the mold ... Read more
Reader Question:
Consider Variety of Approved Telehealth Applications
Question: How do I know which telecommunication products are allowed for telehealth visits... Read more
Reader Question:
Check Telehealth Payer Guidelines For Extenuating Circumstances
Question: If a physician performs a Facetime conversation with a COVID-19 patient from the... Read more
You Be the Coder:
Code Accordingly for Bilateral RhinAer™ Procedures
Question: Our provider just began performing RhinAer™ for bilateral treatment of chronic... Read more
Case Studies:
Code These In-Office FBR Clinical Scenarios
Plus, don't let an impacted cerumen Dx throw you for a loop. Office visits involving the ... Read more
Surgery:
Ensure Oropharyngeal Hemorrhage Control Coding Success With This Guide
Making the proper coding distinctions is only half the battle. If you code a given surger... Read more
Modifiers:
Abide by These Rules for Accurate Global Period Surgery Coding
The process begins, and ends, by distinguishing between 3 key modifiers. Postoperative pe... Read more
Reader Question:
Choose Correct Existing Endoscopic Septoplasty Code
Question: Should I be reporting 31299 for an endoscopic septoplasty? New Jersey Subscribe... Read more
Reader Question:
Carry Existing Patients Over for New Practice E/M Visits
Question: When a physician joins a new practice and sees patients from the former practice... Read more
Reader Question:
Use 92597 Over E/M Visit for Voice Prosthetic Device Evaluation
Question: Following air and bone pure tone audiometry testing, the audiologist proceeded t... Read more
Reader Question:
Decide Between Earlobe I&D, FBR Codes
Question: The provider performs an in-office removal of a foreign body (FB) of the earlobe... Read more
You Be the Coder:
Work Out These 2020 FESS Fee Schedule Changes
Question: Our surgeon performed a right-sided ethmoidectomy and right-sided maxillary antr... Read more
Unlisted Procedures:
Code Unlisted Sialendoscopy Procedures Confidently With These Tips
Work your way through two examples to drive the point home. While submitting to the payer... Read more
E/M 2021:
Test Your E/M 2021 Knowledge Base With These T/F Questions
Track the changes from the 2019 Final Rule to the 2020 Final Rule. With the monumental ch... Read more
NCCI:
Navigate Through This Crash Course on NCCI PTP Guidelines
Get answers to some of the most pressing NCCI-oriented questions. You can never be too in... Read more
Reader Question:
Appeal Adenoidal Regrowth Removal, Tonsillectomy Using 42820
Question: We've received a denial for a surgery on a patient younger than 12 involving a t... Read more
Reader Question:
Consider Pharyngeal Flap Creation a Once in a Lifetime Procedure
Question: I'm working on an operative note that involves the surgeon performing a partial ... Read more
Reader Question:
Use Modifier 50 Over LT/RT with an MUE of 1
Question: Why might I be receiving a denial for frequency when submitting 30140 with modif... Read more
You Be the Coder:
Work Backward Through Global Periods for Denials Due to Mod 79
Question: A patient had a septoplasty and a submucosal inferior turbinate reduction. One m... Read more
CPT® Coding:
Get the Full Scoop on Septoplasty Procedures Involving Balloon Dilation
Follow these steps to ensure your unlisted code gets paid. Being a seasoned otolaryngolog... Read more
Case Studies:
Wrangle in This Set of Tricky Salivary Duct Procedures
Work out three coding examples to enhance your skills. Mastering the fundamentals of ear,... Read more
Modifiers:
Steer Clear of These Common Modifier 59 Fictions
Stay on top of your NCCI claims by avoiding this misinformation. Modifier 59 is, historic... Read more
Reader Question:
Take These Steps for LCD Non-Covered Dxs
Question: Does Medicare restrict coverage to only the diagnoses listed under the code's Lo... Read more
Reader Question:
Use Distinct Specialty Codes for Swallowing Function Evaluations
Question: I'm looking to code a fluoroscopic swallowing function evaluation, but the ... Read more
Reader Question:
Choose Right Comparison Code for Middle Turbinate Reduction
Question: What's the CPT® code for a submucosal reduction of the middle turbina... Read more
You Be the Coder:
Refer to MUEs for Multiple Unit Billing
Question: The surgeon documents an incision of the labial frenum for both upper and lower ... Read more
Case Studies:
Outline These Defining Elements of 69610, 69620
Work through four examples to drive the point home. Most otolaryngology coders, beginner ... Read more
E/M Coding:
Answer 2 Important FAQs on Prolonged E/M Visits
See how time plays a key role in the coding process. When you get down to the gritty deta... Read more
Special E/M Services:
Get Answers to These After-Hours, Emergency E/M Visit Questions
Know what to do when a visit extends beyond business hours. Consider a scenario where you... Read more
Reader Question:
Look to 31540 for Laryngoscopy with Laser Ablation
Question: The surgeon performs a laryngoscopy with laser ablation of a papilloma. What cod... Read more
Reader Question:
Append Modifier 52 for Partial Uvulectomy
Question: How should I code for a partial uvulectomy? The surgeon documents an excision of... Read more
Reader Question:
Include Nosebleed Packing Removal in E/M Visit
Question: Can I code the removal of a Rhino Rocket® to control a nosebleed with CPT® cod... Read more
You Be the Coder:
Follow Bundling Rules for Same-Sided Tube, Cerumen Removal
Question: The surgeon performs a bilateral tube removal under general anesthesia in additi... Read more
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